Card appliance.



HORACE WYNDHAM,

on NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARD APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 191 1.

Application filed September 9, 1910. Serial No. 581,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE IVYNDHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resii dent of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to card appliances to be used as an adjunct with playing cards and more particularly for use in three-handed bridge whist.

In the accompanying drawing showing illustrative embodiments of my invention, and in which the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures, Figure l is a plan view of my invention applied to 'a fixed or a removable cover of cloth, paper or any other suitable material; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of my invention applied to a table top.

It is well known in playing cards, particularly three-handed bridge whist, there is often uncertainty and confusion as to the dealer but particularly as to the dummy with consequent delay. By using my invention both the dealer and dummy are always positively indicated, so that this confusion and delay are avoided.

My invention broadly consists of any suitable playing member provided on its playing surface in any suitable manner with a triangle, such as by printing, painting, carving, inlaying or depicting the triangle in any other manner. This triangle is preferably an equilateral triangle, though, of course, my invention is not to be limited to this particular form, though this is what 1 preferably use and illustrate. It is also to be understood that my invention covers awooden or other triangle, when used in the manner herein set forth.

In the illustrative embodiments of my invention shown in the drawing, 1 is a cover' of cloth, paper or other suitable material upon which is indicated in any suitable manner an equi-lateral triangle 2 having apices 3, 4 and 5. In using the invention in threahanded bridge whist, which necessitates the use of a dummy, each of the three players sits opposite the respective apices 3, 4 and 5. When the player at the apex 3 deals, for example, he deals the dummy at 6, or on the base of the triangle opposite to the apex nearest, or pointing, to him. When the deal passes to the player at the apex 4:, he

deals the dummy on the base 7, and when the player at the apex 5 deals, he deals upon the base 8. In this way it will be seen that the dummy will always be on one of the bases of the triangle directly opposite the particular apex of the triangle nearest or pointing to the dealer. Therefore, with the position of the dummy always established on one of the bases, the apex opposite that base will always point to the dealer who dealt the dummy; and in this manner the confusion and uncertainty previously re-' ferred to, particularly as to the location of the dummy, are positively avoided.

In three-handed bridge whist the uncertainty as to the positive location of the dummy often results in confusion by the wrong player picking up and looking at the dummy. In my invention this is avoided for the apices locate the players. The first dealer is determined usually by cutting the pack of cards. In dealing he deals three hands substantially on a line connecting the other two players, the dummy hand being the mlddle hand. Consequently the other two players naturally take up the hands nearest them which will always leave the dummy hand undisturbed until it is ready to be played.

The triangle first fixes the exact position of the three players by properly spacing them with relation to each other. The'cards are dealt to each apex and to the base of the triangle opposite the dealer. The triangle having properly spaced the players and the points on the table where their hands are to be dealt, there is no excuse for a player, in the beginning of the game, to pick up accidentally or by design the dummy hand, and later discovering his mistake, after seeing one or more cards in the dummy, acknowledge his error and pick up his own proper hand. After the trump is declared the elder hand leads and the position of the dummy on the base of the triangle lying be tween the other two players warns the second player,-but the third in hand,not to play until dummy has played, thereby tending to prevent third in hand being penalized foifiglaying out of turn.

ile I have shown my invention in Fig. 1 applied to a cloth or paper cover, which,

a table or other playing surface, or be fastened to such surface, it is, of course, to be understood that my invention is not limited for example, may be removably spread overto this particular form. For example, the table top 9 may be provided with an equilateral triangle 2 either painted, engraved inlaid, or otherwise shown on the table. The use of this table top provided with a triangle is exactly the same as the other form, in that the apex of the triangle opposite the dummy will always indicate the dealer. The dummy will also, of course, always be dealt upon the base of the triangle opposite to the dealer. Again a Wooden or metal triangle may beremovably placed on the playing surface, so that said playing surface and triangle may be used together as here described.

Having thus described this invention in connection with illustrative embodiments thereof to the details of which I do not desire to be limited, what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A card appliance comprising a playing surface and an equi-lateral triangle, for the purpose set forth.

2. A card appliance for three-handed bridge whist, comprising a member provided with a surface having a triangle thereon.

8. A card appliance for three-handed the players and dummy.

HORACE VVYNDI-IAM. Witnesses:

Ross MENK, NELLiE FRAHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

